A Weekly World Wide Word of Encouragement to those in the Ministry
PRAISE GOD IT’S MONDAY!
A WEEKLY ‘WWW (world-wide word) OF ENCOURAGEMENT’
TO THOSE IN MINISTRY
A FREE service, currently connecting with Christian leaders from 3,000 denominations and ministries, in 70 countries.
Issue No: 312 Published: 15 Oct 2007
TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH: 1. RESTORATION OF HOLY SPIRIT POWER AND DIRECTION Continued (Part 3)
This week we will continue with our look at the Holy Spirit in the church using practical examples.1. There is a group of pastors and churches that I have been involved with that grew out of the Latter Rain Revival of the late 1940's.
This movement started out in a classical Holy Spirit way with meetings of people in small groups in homes and halls, led by people with the 5 fold giftings, but who were simply part of the group and worked at jobs in the community alongside others. A truly grassroots movement, empowered by the Holy Spirit, loved by some and hated by others.
Over the years that followed the movement grew into a denomination. Bible Schools were set up, churches built, and the leaders became 'pastors' in full-time, paid ministry. Now, in most cases, to become a pastor within this grouping, one has to have a theological education.
Many would say that the denomination has come to maturity, for it has a steady membership, a reasonable financial base and does a lot of good work in the community. Very commendable!
There is only one problem! The Holy Spirit anointing that originally, powerfully permeated the movement, has largely gone. Mans ways, filled with good intentions, have taken over.
When talking to the few senior people left from the 'old days' of the movement's foundation, there is an almost universal disappointment with the direction things have taken. For they once knew the power of the Holy Spirit as the people met together, a group of equals hungry for the Lord's revelation and desiring to live a life of holiness. While times were tough financially, the movement grew rapidly and people's lives were dramatically changed.
Now things are easier. But the newer leaders know little of the previous, Holy Spirit filled days. They have full time ministry jobs, generally reasonably well paid and a satisfactory career. Membership too has stagnated and the people themselves simply attend 'a church', a church that does good but one that is lacking in Holy Spirit power.
What went wrong?
2. I was once involved in a church that decided to have 'Holy Spirit meetings' on a Sunday evening. A great idea, embraced by the keen Christians amongst the membership.
So we went along and simply waited upon the Holy Spirit to lead us. It was amazing! He truly turned up! One would get a song, another a word of prophecy, another a message from the Word. There would be testimony, body ministry and healings.
After a couple of months, the (godly) pastor thought that it would be a good idea to use these services as an opportunity for the young people in the church to get experience in ministry. So the services became programmed and organised - and the Holy Spirit departed.
A worthy ideal - but what went wrong?
3. Now for a more personal testimony. I will simply be honest. Take me as you find me.
In Christian terms, I am a very ordinary person. Coming to Christ in middle age and, kicking and struggling, for I come from a Baptist background, into the things of the Holy Spirit, a few years later. I have no formal theological education but a love for the Lord and a openness to the Holy Spirit to teach and change me.
While, in the natural, I have an ability to take complicated things and explain them simply, I have no qualities that would qualify me for ministry. Yet the Lord has used me in that way, not because I am trained, but presumably because I am available. Financially the cost has been great, but there are many others out there who also, have been prepared to sacrifice everything for the Lord.
On most occasions when I speak, the Holy Spirit turns up in a tangible way. It is hard to explain, but He is there, and all present know He is there. About 10+% of the time, He turns up so powerfully that all I can do is let Him minister to the people directly, for He is a far superior minister to me. All my plans 'go out the window' as He takes over.
On the few occasions that He doesn't turn up, experience has taught me it is because the people there don't want Him to! For He is a gentle person and will not come where He is not wanted. It is not what we say with our mouth that is important to Him in such situations, but what we actually believe inside!
An opportunity for Holy Spirit ministry is there every time. But what sometimes goes wrong?
The Holy Spirit comes when He is both wanted and allowed to operate.
To be continued next week.
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FROM THE WORD
THE LORD APPEARS TO ELIJAH"And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?†He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.†The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.†Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?†He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.†The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.†"(1 Kings 19:9-18)
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:29-32)
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
"“Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.†" (John 16:5-16)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
SUBMISSION AND OBEDIENCE929. As God grows in me, there is less and less room for me myself!
930. Heaven is reached through obedience to God's will, not simply the recitation of a 'Sinners Prayer'.
931. Godly obedience is the present outworking of belief and faith.
932. I cannot truly say I'm a believer if I'm not prepared to follow the path of the one in whom I believe.
933. Freewill is a choice, obedience the choice of freewill.
934. Doing what God wants us to do when it differs from what we want to do is our true test of obedience.
935. "I will obey You", is the ultimate form of worship.
936. The path of obedience takes a different route to that of our natural understanding.
937. To do what we don't understand, because God said it, is the ultimate test of obedience.
938. It may be easier to die as a martyr, than to die to one's self!
939. As I die, so God grows in me. There is only room for one of us!
940. In God, submission is a sign of success, not one of failure.
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CRANWELL'S CARTOON
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your
brother’s sister's! eye and pay no attention
to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to
your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’
when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your
own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove
the speck from your brother’s (sister's!)eye.
(Matthew 7:3-5)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
A REVELATION OF... GOD'S CALL TO HIS CHURCHWe live in a church system that has evolved over the past, nearly 2000 years. It is obvious that the church had problems of doctrine and organisation right from its formation. Many people are reluctant to admit to this, but there were difficulties between Jews and gentiles in a theological sense, as well as practical organisational problems in terms of looking after the needy widows. However, over the centuries, church structures developed and became formalised along human lines. While the Reformation saw some changes, both in theology and organisation, the old, unbiblical, structures have tended to replicate themselves within our modern denominations and groupings. The Bible warns of this.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. (Colossians 2:8)
Today, in these end times, God is calling His church back to basics. To its relational roots rather than formal structural organisation and methods that restrict, through human intervention, the Holy Spirit from truly working in the way He would wish.
Yes, God is calling us today to return to the principles set out in the New Testament, not to create the 'perfect church', for it will still have you and I in it, but rather, one capable of absorbing the promised bountiful end-time harvest.
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LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
***Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused****** "Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others." ***
649. THE 10 COMMANDMENTS
God went to the Germans and said, "I have Commandments for you that will make your lives better." And the Germans asked, "What are Commandments?" And the Lord said, "They are rules for living." "Can you give us an example?" "Thou shalt not kill." "Not kill? We're not interested."
So He went to the Italians and said, "I have Commandments." And the Italians wanted an example, and the Lord said, "Thou shalt not steal." "Not steal? We're not interested."
He went to the French and said, "I have Commandments." The French wanted an example and the Lord said, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." "Not commit adultery? We're not interested."
He went to the Jews and said, "I have Commandments." "Commandments?" they said, "how much are they?" "They're free." "We'll take 10."
648. THANK YOU LORD
A Grandmother was headed out the door to go to church one Sunday when she got a call from her daughter. "Would Grandma like to have her three little grandchildren visit while her daughter and son-in-law took a five-day holiday trip?"
Grandma was so delighted she put five dollars in the collection basket at church and thanked the Lord. The Sunday after the grandchildren had returned home, she put fifty dollars in the collection, and thanked the Lord!
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can now download the book 'Laughing At Ourselves' in PDF format at LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
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FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Are fish more abundant in cold ocean water orwarm water?
ANSWER: Most people would guess that ocean life is more abundant in
warm water. They'd be wrong. All kinds of marine life - plant and animal -
are more abundant in colder waters. Many of the best fishing grounds are
found in the coldest places. Why? Cold water holds more dissolved
gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, which marine plants need to
photosynthesize. The more plant food you have, the more fish and sea
mammals you'll see. Antarctic waters are simply teeming with
microscopic plankton that attracts whales and fish. (Do fish feel the cold?)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Are there really such things as elephant
graveyards?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS287. EFFICIENT KILLER
Cougars can kill animals eight times their size. (A feed or three here!)
288. A QUICK TRIP
A space vehicle must move at a rate of at least 7 miles per second to escape Earth's gravitational pull. This is equivalent to going from New York to Philadelphia in about 20 seconds. ( There and back in time for tea!)
289. HOW MUCH TALK?
Parrots, most famous of all talking birds, rarely acquire a vocabulary of more than twenty words. However, Tymhoney Greys and African Greys have been known to carry vocabularies in excess of 100 words. (Do parrots, parrot each other?)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
ILMENITE
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE QUESTION - JUDGES (You be the judge!)
1) Who is the first judge mentioned in the book of Judges?A - Ahab
B - Ehud
C - Othniel
D - Gideon
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""A conservative is a liberal who got mugged.
I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US congress. (Ronald Reagan)
It's no use having a good memory unless you have something good to remember.
What is the best lubricant for a life that's not running very smoothly?
My mind contains many good ideas, but it is not always easy to squeeze one out.
There is a guaranteed way to get what you want: want less.
"I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places." (Henny Youngman)
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MORE BIBLE RIDDLES
Thought we had done all possible Bible riddles in our last, very popular series. However, I have now found some more for you to enjoy, courtesy of Frank Schaefer of javacasa.comQ. Who slept five in a bed?
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A. David. He slept with his forefathers.
Lots more riddles found at...
GREAT GROANS!
139. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECTOnce there was a monestary well-known for the magnificent voices of the choir in their Gregorian chants. To attain this level of excellence, of course, intensive practice is needed.
The monks would rise from their beds at 4:30 am, attend their morning prayers, and gather for ninety minutes of rehersal at 5. Finally at 6:30 they would get their breakfast.
One morning, though, the monks gathered in the chancel to rehearse; the director was not there. Ten minutes passed... fifteen. No director.
The monks were cold, sleepy, hungry and growing impatient. Most of them took the opportunity to meditate and improve their souls, but all were finding it difficult.
Finally at 5:25 the director came in (brushing crumbs from his cassock, to make matters worse). As he always did, he chanted on a descending fourth, "Mor-ning!" and the monks, as they always did, replied on a further descending fourth, "Mor-ning!" All that is except one young monk, irritated beyond endurance, who sarcastically (but softly) replied "Evening!"
He didn't count on the sharp ear of the director, though, who cocked his head, frowned, and chanted in a melody made famous on Broadway...
"Someone chanted 'evening'!!"
140. WHICH TEAM?
It's a little-known fact that William Tell and his son were avid bowlers as well as archery buffs. Unfortunately, all the league records were destroyed by a fire, and we will
never know for whom the Tells bowled.
141. ON GUARD
A very rich man kept a pair of lions to guard his property. Each of them took turns being on duty. One night, a group of midgets tried to rob him but the lion on patrol caught them and ate them.
When the police arrived, the sergeant asked skeptically, "Well, so where is this group of midgets you say broke in ?" The rich man pointed proudly to his guardians and said,
"It's all in the lion of duty."
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BIBLE TRIVIA
MANDRAKES.......are a flowering herb bearing fruit in the spring.
They are said to be an aphrodisiac as can be seen in Leah and Rachel's argument over Jacob and the desirability of sharing mandrakes to promote conception.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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THE AMAZING PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL
One of every ten people on the planet is of the Bible-reading, Bible-believing stream of Christianity. The number of believers in what used to be "mission fields" now surpasses the number of believers in the countries from which missionaries were originally sent. In fact, more missionaries are now sent from non-Western churches than from the traditional mission-sending bases in the West. The Protestant growth rate in Latin America is well over three times the biological growth rate. Protestants in China grew from about one million to over 80 million believers in less than 50 years, with most of that growth occurring in just the last few decades. In the 1980s, Nepal was still a staunch Hindu kingdom with only a small persecuted church. Today there are hundreds of thousands of believers and churches have been started within each of the more than 100 distinct people groups. (Via GO GLOBAL MISSIONS REPORT)Many more 'Godfacts' here...
DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
A REVELATION OF... THE 3 RIVERS OF GODThe principle of the 'river' in scripture and how it applies to our lives and the church today.
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WAXING LYRICAL
Words that tell a succinct story!...EPT
While Jesus wept,
The Disciples slept,
Could not accept,
His divine precept.
His death swept,
Felt totally inept,
To themselves kept,
While time crept.
Resurrection concept,
No promises unkept,
They became adept,
So to service lept!
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A DAVID MUSING
During this week we have shifted all our clothing into our new premises. This was a huge job involving transporting 20 truckloads of clothing and other stuff, all shifted in 3 days. Forklifts at each end were essential!On Saturday we started the job of erecting the clothing rack, hanging the clothes, and pricing them. We expect to use up to 40,000 staples over the next 10 days! A lot of clicks! Some tired hands from clicking, no doubt!
So if you live in our area, or would like to visit, your assistance would be hugely appreciated!
Had better stop writing and get on with it!
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: TIMELINE
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION': Othniel (Judges 3:7-9)
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ABOUT US
WALKING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES is a non-profit, non-denominational, Bible based ministry located in Hastings, New Zealand. A ministry dedicated to developing discipleship, fostering unity amongst God’s people to achieve the Great Commission, and in doing so, preparing for Christ’s return. It is securely based upon the foundational principles of the Apostles Creed while recognising the wide and rich diversity of beliefs amongst Christians in other areas. In accordance with the Lord’s direction, materials produced by the ministry are available, free of charge, to genuine enquirers upon request. The ministry is solely funded by donations, as the Lord provides. A list of materials available (plus some fun!) is obtainable and freely downloadable from our websitewwj.org.nz or by contacting us as follows.
Walking With Jesus Ministries
290 Flaxmere Avenue
Flaxmere
Hastings
New Zealand
Phone: (06) 8799 911 International (+64) 6 8799 911
Email: enquiries@wwj.org.nz
Web: wwj.org.nz
Our role is to bless and encourage those in ministry while promoting co-operation and unity of direction amongst the body of Christ, as emphasised 3 times by Jesus in His longest prayer, immediately prior to His arrest and crucifixion. "… so that they may be one as we are one." (John 17:12, 21, 23-4) Our website is currently being developed to encourage your participation one with another, to share resources, and to enable you to promote events and items of interest to the body as a whole – and have a smile while doing it!
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david@wwj.org.nz